Solar is becoming increasingly popular in the United States and abroad, but penetration remains relatively low versus the number of homes that could benefit from solar. The price per kilowatt for solar is now competitive with or below that of fossil fuel-based utility power in most areas, however, solar largely remains a niche product for those who value saving money, reducing CO2 emissions, or both.
One factor that may limit the adoption of solar technology is aesthetics. Most residential solar systems are installed as modules over an existing tile or composition shingle roof. The solar array, which often only covers a portion of the roof, or even a portion of one mounting plane on the roof, stands out as separate and distinct from the existing roof, both in height and material. This structure is therefore visible even from the street level and over large distances.
Another obstacle to solar adoption in existing homes is the dissonance between the age of the existing roof and the solar system, particularly where the existing roof is made from composition shingles. The expected life of a solar system can be 25 years or more, and the expected life of a composition shingle roof is also about 25 years, depending on the local climate and specific tile materials, however, at the time a customer is considering going solar, their existing roof may be several years, if not decades, into that lifespan. So the customer may be presented with the dilemma of getting a new roof first, increasing the cost of going solar, or installing a 25-year solar system on a roof which may have a relatively shorter remaining operational lifespan.
Accordingly, there is a need to resolve the dissonance between the expected life of the solar system and the remaining life of the roof, that also blends in more aesthetically with the complete roof surface or at least the mounting plane, and that does not require the prospective customer to pay for a new roof and a new solar system over that roof.
While various photovoltaic roof tiles have been proposed, successfully integration of photovoltaic tiles into a readily installable complete roofing system has proven elusive. Among the challenges associated with these types of roofing tiles is complexity in installation, particularly in regard to securing the tiles in conjunction with electrically coupling the tiles within the overall photovoltaic system. These complexities often require specialized equipment and accessories for a given type of roof, which can limit the range of such systems available to a consumer. Another challenge is maintaining serviceability of photovoltaic tiles after installation and the ability to repair broken tiles since integrated systems can often be difficult to disassemble or modify after installation, particularly when the photovoltaic tiles are electrically coupled within the system. Thus, there is a need for photovoltaic tiles and mounting systems for building-integrated photovoltaic systems that allow for ease of installation and compatibility with differing roof configurations, that are long lasting, safe, and reliable, and that allow for ready removal of individual tiles after installation for servicing or replacement.